"Priest kicked me out of Mass because of Obama signs"

[cboy4]

:wtf:



By Ryan Chalk

Vacaville Reporter
Article Launched: 11/12/2008 07:04:05 PM PST

A Fairfield woman whose car was adorned with celebratory signs for President-elect Barack Obama says she is furious that a priest singled her out during Mass Sunday morning and ordered her to leave.

Elizabeth Caster said the Rev. Sebastian Meyer humiliated her in front of the congregation at Our Lady of Mount Carmel Church in Fairfield, saying from the pulpit, "We cannot have a car with Obama signs written on it on these premises. And I don't care who Obama is."

He continued: "I want this car off the premises in 10 minutes or it will be towed. Whoever's vehicle this is, I want it removed. I don't want to see that car anywhere around here," she said.

Meyer did not return calls. An attempt to speak to him in person ended abruptly Wednesday morning when he announced, "No, we're not writing that," and reportedly lunged at a reporter, attempting to snatch the reporter's notebook away.

That incident was reported to police and the Diocese of Sacramento, which oversees Roman Catholic churches in the Fairfield area.

Kevin Eckery, a spokesman for the diocese, said that because police had been notified, he couldn't comment on any specifics involving Wednesday's incident.

Still, he acknowledged the right of the reporter to ask questions.

http://www.mercurynews.com/ci_10968645?source=most_emailed

What an asshole

[Sherman A1]

1. Another good reason to be happy

about having gotten over being Catholic.

[Eryemil]

2. The religious sure make themselves easy to hate. It's like divine providence

[acmavm]

28. Yes, we're all such evil fucking bastard's and bitches. And what

do you know about diving providence? Do you have some info that the rest of us need?

[annabanana]

3. Talk about an overreaction. . Here's the "offending" car:

[bunkerbuster1]

21. The story made it sound like she had billboards mounted to a bike rack.

Jeez. Soap on the windows?

[drumtrip]

57. No Kidding

From the way the story was written I thought it was some huge display. This is simply a respectful celebration! Good for her! Makes the priest look even more like a moron though.

[Ghost in the Machine]

4. Cool, one more documented reason to start taxing these frauds! n/t

[Alpharetta]

5. What an asshole

[TWiley]

6. I would suggest the phrase "Blow Me" buttt you might take in the Rectory

[and-justice-for-all]

7. Fuck the church, who needs'em...nt

[Pirate Smile]

8. Obama won the Catholic vote -"Catholics— who made up 26 percent of the voters today —went for Obama"

http://politicalticker.blogs.cnn.com/2008/11/04/exit-polls-the-religion-factor/

"Acording to exit polls, John McCain is winning among America's Protestants but Barack Obama took the Catholics.

Among voters surveyed, 55 percent identified themselves as Protestant. They went for McCain by 53 percent to 45 percent.

While some Catholic bishops stressed the Church's opposition to abortion rights as the most-important issue for the faithful to consider, Catholics — who made up 26 percent of the voters today — went for Obama 53 percent to 45 percent.

Jewish voters — 2 percent of the electorate today — went heavily for Obama: 78 percent to 21 percent.

Twelve percent of those surveyed today say responded "none" when asked about their religion. They went for Obama 76 percent to 22 percent."

[Dorian Gray]

23. Thanks for pointing that out

Catholics are notoriously liberal in their voting block.

I also know quite a few liberal priests and nuns. They are outspoken Democrats (not from the pulpit, though). I know that many stories like this OP have been reported about the Catholic Church, but there are MANY stories where the priest supports our side, as well.

[struggle4progress]

65. Diocese probes Fairfield clash over Obama signs

ASSOCIATED PRESS
1:13 p.m. November 14, 2008

FAIRFIELD – The Roman Catholic Diocese of Sacramento is investigating allegations that a Fairfield priest forced a woman to leave church grounds because she put signs supporting Barack Obama on her car ...

Diocesean spokesman Kevin Eckerly says parishioners are being interviewed about Sunday's incident.

http://www.signonsandiego.com/news/state/20081114-1313-ca-bay-church-obamacar.html

[Ganja Ninja]

9. If I had been there I would have got up, told him to kiss my ass goodbye and

walked out too.

[cboy4]

10. And I would pay a lot of money to witness that in person!

LOL

[HereSince1628]

11. Authoritarian maniac. He's good to be a Cardinal under Pope Rat

[The Backlash Cometh]

12. So now the world knows what Ralph Reed learned many years ago.

Religion is opiate for the people, and once they're drugged, they're easily handled.

[Coexist]

good, in the words of McCain, "Make them famous, you will know their names"

[Coexist]

13. good, in the words of McCain, "Make them famous, you will know their names"

[JoDog]

14. The woman needs to file a complaint

with the IRS. This crossed the line of what is acceptable in a church. While the priest can talk about issues (he can say parishioners should vote pro-life, etc.), he cannot speak for or against any specific candidate or office holder.

This church should have its tax-exempt status pulled. Pure and simple.

[Ian David]

16. Well, the "priest" thinks he covered his ass by saying, "I don't care who Obama is."

Let's see what the lawyers have to say about it.

[dana_b]

34. If he didn't care who Obama was..

then he shouldn't have been offended by his name being written on the woman's car. Such a crock.

[OnionPatch]

15. What I don't understand

(and no offense to church-goers) is why do people care to belong to these kinds of churches in the first place? When my church started acting like a bunch of idiots decades ago, I simply left and found a church that mirrored my own deeply-held beliefs with a congregation of people I could relate to. If people stopped supporting these narrow-minded churches, they wouldn't have so much power.

[mitchum]

53. Maybe they stay around for the floor show?

All the incense, statues, and booga booga horseshit can be quite a spectacle

[lib_wit_it]

59. Catholic mass, to me, is bad theater--tacky costumes, crappy music, bad acting, predictable story

line. My dad is always bugging me to go to church and when I get fed up I always tell him this. Of course, he finds it all beautiful. Oh, and he's often lector, so he's part of the show I'm panning.

I tried for years to believe, but I just couldn't do it.

[Ian David]

17. Our Lady of Mount Carmel Church

"Served By The Carmelites"
Fairfield, California

A Catholic Community

Rev. Sebastian Meyer, O. Carm. Pastor


Contact Us
http://www.olmc-fairfield.org/contact_us.htm

[rucky]

18. Shit like this can't possibly help the church.

sounds like they'd rather have a smaller, more rabid congregation, instead of the wide appeal and positive message they'll need to survive. Churches aren't very good at politics, and they're awful at marketing.

[deaniac21]

26. If you think the Catholic church is awful at marketing you are

wrong. They have more money than 95 % of the countries in the world.

[bunkerbuster1]

19. We might need a separate ****OFFICIAL FUCK YOU "Rev." Sebastian Meyer" Thread.****

Wow.

[bdamomma]

20. these so called priests are totally losing it

read this story
there goes brotherly love.

http://news.yahoo.com/s/ap/20081113/ap_on_re_us/obama_catholics

[zbdent]

22. "It took a lot out of me to sit there and not walk out," Sherrod said.

Gee ... wasn't there a lot of flak about other people who didn't get up and walk out on a pastor who said something (in context) that went against the beliefs of the person?

Oh, wait ... that's because the person who "didn't get up and walk out" was a Democrat ...

[bluedawg12]

24. Theofascism: targets free speech& freedom of the press.

...

[panzerfaust]

25. We will tell you what to think.

After all, we speak for God.

Besides, the alter-boy had just told me "no more"

[Enthusiast]

27. Someone said that The Netherlands

has the fewest number of abortions (per-capita) of any country. This is because of easy access to birth control.

If the church wants fewer abortions they should embrace oral birth control and stop being so ridiculous.

[shadowknows69]

29. Catholics, I know most of you are good people

But y'all really need to start kicking some ass and speaking out about some of your leaders. This kind of shit is reprehensible. I wonder if a millionaire who might go to that parrish would be cast out as quickly for an Obama sticker? Need all those tithes they can get you know.

[Ganja Ninja]

35. The Catholic church is pretty much dying on the vine already.

They're killing themselves off.

[shrike]

42. Nah. They're alive and well in other parts of the world

I personally think America is a much less religious country than it lets on. They may call themselves religious when a pollster calls, but I live in a very red state, and regular church-goers are a curiousity.

[dana_b]

37. what's so sad is that there ARE good priests who would never

pull this crap! My step father was (he passed years ago) a Catholic priest for 25 years before he decided that he wanted something different out of life. For all those years he never preached at people as to who they should vote for. Hell, he actually knew Robert and Jack Kennedy (What my step dad called John)and was a huge admirer of theirs. Never did he judge them like that. Yes, he had to preach at mass but it wasn't messages of fear, hate or "you BETTER do such and such or else!". i don't understand these people.

[MN Farmer]

61. Very Good Point

I was raised Catholic, and had some awesome and some really rotten priests.

I've seen priests who were older than dirt who had survived the Nazi's in Germany tell of their harrowing existence during the purges-these men could give a sermon that would enthrall everyone from young kids to grown adults.

OTOH, I've seen priests who were so boring that they could put a kid with ADHD to sleep in minutes.

To paint the entire Catholic church with a broad brushstroke of hatred is pure ignorance and prejudice. Church's are like towns-there's good, there's bad, and there's in between. No two are exactly the same.

The parish which I grew up attending was always asking for money, money, money, and did little or nothing for the community.

The parish which I attend today with my family is all about group activities, doing stuff for the community, they run a food shelf for anyone who asks regardless of their faith, and organizes brigades of kids for snow shoveling for those who are unable to clear their walks and drives (elderly, handicapped, etc).

Just because one church has a pastor who is a turd in the punchbowl doesn't mean everyone in attendance has poop breath, only those who don't pay attention.

[bullwinkle428]

30. I would have made the fucker call the cops to have the car towed -

put him in the position of having to explain his reason to a detached, third-party observer, and see how that would go!

[hamsterjill]

31. The diocese should act fast.

It is ludicrous that a priest should behave this way. I agree with almost everything that has been posted here.

Beyond that - now - this is an opportunity for the diocese to show the world that they won't tolerate hate mongering in their parishes.

This priest should be removed immediately and never placed in a position where he could do something like that to someone again.

We'll all be holding our breath, right???!!!

[DU GrovelBot]

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[1776Forever]

33. In 1960 I was "thrown" out of my church for wearing a JFK button and never went back.

I attended a Bible Church that had handed out hate message filled pamphlets, against Kennedy and the Catholic Church, to the members. I was a 15 year-old teen at that time and I just didn't understand why in Jesus Church they would do something like that! I decided to wear my Kennedy for President badge to church the next Sunday and the Sunday School Teacher went to my Mom and said "How could you let her do that?". My Mom replied she thought I was old enough to choose right or wrongly and then the Minister got into it and I said, "OK, I am out of here". I walked out and never went back to a church again. I am glad I did what I did and would have done it again!

[marshall]

36. At least they are coming out of the closet

If this drives away pro-choice members from the Catholic church then that's a good thing. They will find happiness and acceptance elsewhere.

[Goblinmonger]

38. Gee, first the SC guy and now this

It kind of makes the "but this is just one single person and not the whole church" apologists job a little bit harder, doesn't it. Add to the mix all the shit from 04 and it almost looks like, maybe, just maybe, this kind of thing is coming from the top down. But that couldn't be, could it?

[LatteLibertine]

39. I don't know why

anyone would want to be part of a faith that has a hierarchy that aids/enables child molesters while vilifying their victims.

You can't explain away quietly shifting child molesting priests from parish to parish. There's no excuse for it.

A Bishop that was overseeing one of the worst areas for these sort of abuses was made a Cardinal.

No way I would be associated with this group regardless of the fact that they have some good members in the faith. Their leadership is corrupt and wicked.

Get your god fix elsewhere.

[barbiegeek]

40. Catholic Church--Racist?

Since when did the Catholic Church advocate racism? Weren't they the ones that were hiding illegal immigrants in there basements a year ago?

[liberal1973]

41. Yeah he's a asshole.

[codjh9]

43. Insanely ironic that we elect a fine, good man like Obama and the nuts think he's the Devil...

[tabbycat31]

44. send the IRS after the church

to take away the tax-exempt status.

[Quantess]

67. Yes! Our nation could really use the money.

[Karenina]

45. Someone help here with an attribution: Man will be free when

the last king is strangled with the entrails of the last priest.

[Hekate]

60. Denis Diderot or Friedrich Nietszche, there seems to be some argument

Certainly is colorful, though.

Hekate

[Karenina]

66. Thanx!

:hi:

[Khaotic]

46. Pisses Me Off

Fuck these priests!

Watch the TV newscast and it will really piss you off.

http://cbs13.com/local/Woman.Chased.Out.2.863909.html

Fuck!!!!

I've had it!

That fucking church is going to eat itself.

Even though its members aren't buying the fucking bullshit, it seems that many leaders in the church are ready to 'smoke out' the members who don't 100% support their way of thinking.

I mean, WTF?

What's next?

Do they halt mass and force everyone to take a survey. If they ferret you out as someone who's faith doesn't match Catholicism then they add you to a list of parishioners who have been officially excommunicated from the Church?????!!!!!

Maybe they can start posting Excommunicated posters around the dioceses and churches telling the 'good' little pro-life going parishioners to watch for the fallin and to alert Church leaders to escort those people out of the church!

WTF?

Fuck this!!!!!!!!!!

This had got to come to a head!!!!!

[pipi_k]

47. What I want to know...

what the hell is up with all those "concerned church members who called" this lady?

Where the hell are they, huh?


Are they out there telling that priest to jump in a lake? Are they protesting, through non-attendance, or denial of contributions?


Or are they just going to sit around and let this happen?


See, this is why some of us don't just have a problem with the religion itself...some of us have problems with the people who allow their religions to exert any kind of control over their lives.

And yes, I do understand that it's hard to break free of that sort of brainwashing, but the ones who aren't brainwashed...why the hell aren't they protesting something that makes them all look like damned fools?

[mistertrickster]

48. Join the Episcopal Church. Same mass . . . zero hate. nt.

[mwooldri]

58. Hmmm. Join the RIGHT Episcopal Church.

Episcopalians / Anglicans are so very diverse it's amazing. However depending on the church and setup, "mass" can be very different from a Roman Catholic one, or it can be pretty close. The church I went to in England did it all kinds of different ways to please a very diverse congregation, who for the most part did go to all services but you did have those who just went to 1662 BCP services and you had those who just went to the "family service" with a very informal communion.

[lib2DaBone]

49. Once again... Churches need to lose their Tax-Free Status...

[fascisthunter]

50. Sooooo... We Tax Paying Citizens Have to Tolerate Your Homophobia and Bigotry

and now your UNCONSTITUTIONAL effort to change our government in order to LEGISLATE your own BIGOTRY!

A man of a god...? who is this god of yours?

I won't tolerate you, until you tolerate people like my sister getting married to her partner. Besides... IT'S NONE OF YOUR BUSINESS!

[mnhtnbb]

51. The Catholic Church, in all its agrandizing self-righteousness, can go fuck itself.

Millions in art for The Vatican. Inquisition. Support for Nazis. Hiding and condoning pedophilia.

I hope this woman walks in to Mass next week and tells this old fart to go suck on himself.

[mitchum]

52. Papist douchebag in a dress

[xchrom]

54. this is what happens when you spend too much time thinking about

what other people do with their bodies.

[ksimons]

55. one by one, the cracks develop

a few more cracks and we'll see the bottom fall out on this here religion-thing.

[RamboLiberal]

56. Then this nutball attacks a reporter

"Guess turn the other cheek" went by him.

-----

"After identifying himself as a reporter, Chalk explained that he was working on a story about a parishioner who claimed the priest expelled her from Mass because her vehicle sported painted signs in support of president-elect Barack Obama," the story said.

"He became very agitated," Chalk said in the story. "He told me, 'No, we're not writing that. I did not touch her. I did not talk to her.'"

"Chalk said Meyer then threatened to file a lawsuit if any story were written and told him it was 'illegal because it's none of your business,'" the Tribune reported. "'At that point, I took my notepad out and asked what was illegal," Chalk said."

The story adds that: "Meyer became more agitated and lunged at him, Chalk said, clawing at his arm and reaching for his notepad. Stunned, the reporter turned to run out the door as Meyer continued to grab at him."

"He yelled, 'Where are you going?'" Chalk is quoted as saying. "It was absolutely shocking."

Chalk reported the incident to police and the Sacramento Diocese, which oversees the church, the paper reported.

http://www.editorandpublisher.com/eandp/news/article_display.jsp?vnu_content_id=1003890905

[YellowRubberDuckie]

71. I don't think this has anything to do with the Actual Church.

This guy's a freaking lunatic! I think the guy is just out of his mind. These guys are making the catholic church look bad and the Vatican will not tolerate this BS for long.
Duckie

[Lorien]

62. Take away the church's tax exempt status

they appear to be pushing a certain political agenda.

[SoCalDem]

63. Should replace the signs with new ones..

for instance..

Catholic Priests Must Stop the Molesting..

[Skittles]

64. why would she listen to ANYTHING this man has to say?

GET A CLUE, LADY

[ecstatic]

68. So he's trying to hide his racism behind Catholicism

:eyes:

[YellowRubberDuckie]

72. This has nothing to do with Racism.

This has to do with Abortion.
Will you guys stop pulling the race card? This goes a lot deeper than that!
Duckie

[Obamarama]

69. Fine, Father Boy Fondler...PAY YOUR FUCKING TAXES.

Who the FUCK do these religious leaders think they are? They need to be hauled before the IRS, each and every last one of them who dare to interfere with the separation between church and state.

[Cha]

70. This priest is pretty full of himself and

his self righteousness.

What a blessing in disguise.